PoliticalEconomyofUKNetZeroEnergy

Net zero transitions around the world, including in the UK, have complex implications for financial, corporate and household actors and are therefore prone to social tensions.

UK political, corporate and public energy opinions are changing, whilst new ideas and networks that can either reproduce or disrupt energy incumbency are emerging. This project analyses the political economy of low emissions change in the UK across three stages:

1. Map out interests, ideas, and conflicts in key areas for UK energy policy, such as the response to energy crisis, the phase out of gas, and a green industrial policy
2. Analyse how combinations of interests and ideas work for and against meeting net zero goals
3. Develop recommendations, at a time of potential political change, for strategies that anticipate and counter opposition and strengthen coalitions for bolder action.

The project will develop research partnerships with E3G and the Foundation for European Progressive Studies in Brussels. This project will be codeveloped with the Public Engagement Observatory and UKERC research on Affordability, Justice and Economic Impacts, to research decentralised actors and strategies for responding to contestations of net zero policies, and our Responsive Research to respond to changing policy discourse.